A Death in the Family
by emeralddusk
Summary: 5 years ago, Carly witnessed the grizzly murder of her closest friend. Now, a mysterious assassin is attacking Seattle. Now Carly must revisit her darkest memories and her deepest regrets to defeat her greatest opponent. T for blood and intense violence.
1. Chapter 1

**At this point, I wish to express my love and respect for Sam Puckett. Inspired by Batman: Under the Red Hood  
**

ICarly;

A Death in the Family

The rain fell hard on Seattle, Washington on the night of July 9th, 2005. The city was quiet, except in the downtown district. A young girl's screams emanated from a ravaged abandoned warehouse.

Missy swung the crowbar down once again, smashing into Sam's back. Sam let out an agonized grunt. Missy lifted the weapon above her head, and slammed it into Sam's back again. Sam released a short scream of pain with what little energy she had left.

Missy threateningly hit the crowbar into her right hand several times, smiled, and smugly said,"Tisk, tisk, tisk, Sam. What would Carly think if she could see you now?"

Sam scowled and spit at Missy, splattering blood on her.

"Manners," replied Missy, before hitting Sam backhandedly in the cheek, flipping the blond onto her back with a scream of pain, then a moan of agony. Missy then walked closer to her victim.

Sam angrily wheezed out something inaudible.

"What was that, cup cake?" replied Missy. "Had enough?... Well I'm just getting started." Missy then raised the crowbar.

Meanwhile, Carly ran towards downtown with all her might, her heart pounding, and her face dripping with sweat: determined to rescue her friend.

"Will she make it in time?" Nevel asked his assistant working at a computer showing security camera footage.

"...No, sir," replied the assistant, sadly.

Nevel dropped his head, looking at the snow falling down on the mountains outside his home.

Back in Seattle, Missy opened the door to the warehouse. "Alright, honey, I have to go," she said. "Be a good girl and... tell Carly I said hi." Missy then shut the door.

Sam laid on the cold metal floor, her body throbbing. Finally, she gathered the strength to stand up. Sam groaned, stumbled dizzily, then walked towards the door, her bruised and bleeding arms dangling limply at her sides. The girl's vision grew blurry, but she kept the door in sight: her sweet escape. Once she reached it, everything would be better.

Finally, she reached the rusty door, collapsed against it, then lifted her weak arms and tried to pull the handle down, but found it was locked. The teen pushed against the cold metal door, desperately trying to shove it open, letting out a stressed, and almost sad moan as she did. At last, she collapsed onto the floor, dropped her tired head, closed her eyes, and breathed heavily.

Suddenly, she noticed a beeping sound, and looked up. Sam then saw an electric timer hooked up to several explosives. The red timer counted down; 5...4...3...

Sam closed her tired, aching eyes (one of which was black) and dropped her head.

Carly ran towards the warehouse, panting heavily. Before she could reach it, however, it exploded in a giant orb of fire, sending debris flying for half a mile. Carly blocked her face from the heat with her right hand.

Once the explosion ended, Carly ran up to the burning, ash-covered ground that once supported the warehouse, and witnessed a devastating sight: Sam laid dead on the floor, her body covered in bleeding cuts and dark bruises, a thin blood stream coming from her open mouth, her hair grizzly, and her eyes closed.

"No," Carly whispered sadly, gravely. The teenage girl ran over to her friend, picked her up under her upper back and under her knees, and gazed down at her friend's saddened, frozen face. "Sam." Carly closed her eyes, and let her regretful tears fall.

The rain continued to fall, drenching the silenced city.


	2. Chapter 2

ICarly;

A Death in the Family

Chapter 2; Five Years Later...

Carly sat on the couch, supporting her head with her right arm, which rested on her leg. Emotions were weighing her down; regret, sorrow, failure.

Spencer jogged from his room into the living room. "Hey Carls," he said. "What's..." The young adult then remembered what this day was, and couldn't think of anything to say.

"I can't believe it's been five years," said Carly, her eyes blurring with tears.

"Carly,..." replied Spencer, trying to sympathize with his sister. "You need to let this go. It wasn't your fault... Sam would want you to..."

"Yes it was my fault!" Carly snapped. "She counted on me, and I let her down. I can't just get over that." Carly then stormed out of the apartment.

Spencer sighed, feeling Carly's pain.

Carly boarded the elevator and pushed the 'lobby' button. Before the doors closed, Freddie came running around the corner. Carly pushed the left door towards the wall, causing both automatics doors to retreat.

"Thanks, Carls," said Freddie getting in the elevator and standing next to Carly. The doors then closed, sealing the two inside.

"What's up?" replied Carly, trying to hold back her tears and the sorrow she felt in her throat.

"I know what today is... I'm sorry," answered Freddie, trying so hard to make his tone sound the way he thought it should be; sympathetic, but not weak. "...I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine," replied Carly. "I just need to be alone."

The elevator stopped, and Carly got out and walked towards the door. Not knowing what to do, Freddie merely stood in the empty shaft. The doors then closed in front of him.

Carly walked down the sidewalk. The sky was dark and overcast, fitting Carly's disposition. A light wind blew, tossing Carly's hair back, and blowing up some papers on the street.

The teenage girl then caught something out of the corner of her eye. It was a person: a woman, Carly guessed, standing in a nearby alley, wearing a brown overcoat, a black shirt, black pants, and a red mask.

Carly turned towards the mysterious figure, but saw no one. After studying the alley for afew seconds, the girl continued on her way.

As she rounded a corner, the images flashed in Carly's mind: that night, the rain, the burning remains of the warehouse, her friend's lifeless body being held in her hands, and seeing that agonized, dead expression on her face.

Then, in a flash, the memories ended, and Carly found herself standing in the middle of the sidewalk, holding her right arm, and cryning. "My fault...," she whispered. "I let her die." Carly clenched her teeth and lowered her head, trying to hide her shame from the people around her.


	3. Chapter 3

ICarly;

A Death in the Family

Chapter 3; Death Toll

The rain fell hard on Seattle the night of July 9th, 2010. The city was still as the national bank was being robbed by five men in black, holeless ski masks.

"Nobody move!" screamed a rough-voiced robber, who was assumed to be the leader of the gang. "Stay still and this'll go smoothly."

As the other four criminals loaded up brown sacks with the bank's money, the rough-voiced thief aimed his gun around the room, scanning for the slightest movement.

"Excuse me," said a female's voice coming from behind the gang leader. "I'd like to make a deposit."

The criminal turned around, only to have a black-gloved fist drive hard into his face, knocking him on his back. The masked man looked up, and saw a brown-overcoat-clad woman wearing a black shirt, black pants, and a red mask standing in front of him.

"I'd stay down," the woman said, confidently. The masked figure then ran at the other criminals, who then opened fire on her with shaved handguns. The woman dodged the bullets, then pulled her right fist back and punched one of goons in his nose, causing it to bleed as he collapsed on the floor.

Within minutes, the entire gang was laying on the floor, bleeding from their injuries, and unmasked to reveal their twenty-year-old faces. Two of the criminals had been beaten to death.

The woman stood in front of the criminals. "And don't let me catch me robbing banks again," she said mockingly. The masked vigilante turned around and walked out the door. The tellers and bystanders watched in shock, trying to fathom not only the shock of being robbed, but the two grizzly murders they had just witnessed.

"The masked vigilante who violently stopped the bank robbery has been dubbed The Red Hood due to her choice of head wear," informed a tan-skinned female reporter on the news. "All five of the criminals were rushed to a local hospital. Two of which were declared DOA. In other new,..."

Spencer shut off the television. "Carly," he called up the stairs. "Are you okay? You've been up there a long time."

"I'm fine," Carly yelled back, shortly from her locked bedroom.

The teenage girl sat on her bed, looking at pictures of her and Sam smiling, doing silly poses, and running on the beach. Carly shed a tear looking at them, remembering Sam and the bond she shared with her.

Images began to flash in Carly's mind: A young Sam and Carly jumped into the view of a Webcam.

"I'm Carly!" said Carly, excitedly.

"And I'm Sam!" said Sam, showing equal excitement.

"And this is iCarly!" the two yelled, harmonically.

Sam then pressed one of the pink buttons on her blue hand-held device, which caused it to produce the sound of an audience cheering.

The two teens looked at each other and laughed.

Another image then flashed in Carly's mind: An older Sam stood on top of a gang member and viciously punched his cheeks with her left and right fist.

"Sam! Sam!" screamed Carly, running over to Sam and pulling her off the gangster. "Stop it! The guy's had enough."

The hood-clad youth sprang up and ran away from his attacker.

"You let him get away!" screamed Sam.

"You were killing him!" Carly screamed back. "Is five dollars really worth that?"

"He wouldn't stop there," shot back Sam. "He'd try to take more. Then he'd try to kill us."

Carly turned her head, angrily, and stormed off. Sam stood in the alley, watching her friend walk away from her.

The images ended, and Carly felt tears streaming down both of her eyes: tears of loss. Tears of regret for not being better.


	4. Chapter 4

ICarly;

A Death in the Family

Chapter 4; Face to Face

Carly walked down the sidewalk. The black sky was still stained dark red by the sun set one hour ago.

"Stop that car!" screamed a middle-aged Caucasian man.

Carly watched the man chase after his red Hatchback, which was being driven by a gruff Asian man. The car then slammed on its breaks as a masked figure lunged at its windshield, holding a knife in her gloved hand.

Carly dropped her jaw at the vicious murder that took place before her eyes. The masked killer then jumped away from the car, and towards Carly.

Not knowing what to do, the teen stood still, trying to silence her shocked breath. The masked woman stopped inches away from Carly.

"It's never easy to watch a murder," the woman said. "...But you know that. Don't you,... Carly." The masked figure turned around and walked away.

Carly stood still, breathless.

Come midnight, Carly was still awake, sitting on her bed in her dark room. Unable to sleep, she played back that moment in her mind: that voice. What that woman said: "You know that. Don't you,... Carly." That sentence echoed in her head.

Finally, Carly's weary mind drifted into sleep. Violent images began flashing in her mind: The Red Hood stabbing the man in the car, Missy beating Sam to death, the warehouse exploding, Red Hood standing in front of her, holding Sam's bleeding body in her hands, Red Hood saying, "It's never easy to watch a murder. But you know that. Don't you,... Carly.", then Sam's face behind the red mask. The images ended in a flash of white light, which caused Carly to sit up, drenched in a cold sweat, and breathing heavily. The girl looked over at her digital clock, which read 2:05 a.m.

Carly inhaled, trying to hold back tears as she did, and held her face in her right hand.

Early the next morning, Carly left the apartment, and took another walk through the city. The air was cool, and the sky was still dark yellow from the sunrise. The teen walked with her hands in the pouch of her red and black hoodie, and her head down.

Suddenly, the sound of gunfire tore through the silence: a gang war had just begun in the alley a few feet in front of Carly. Gangsters ranging from late teens to their early forties shot at each other, and were shot back at. Soon, they began to drop to the ground, their leather jackets stained with blood.

One of the younger male gang members noticed Carly, and aimed his pistol at her. The girl stepped back in fear.

A gunshot was fired, and the gangster fell to the ground. The shooter then walked onto the sidewalk in front of Carly, and began to open fire on the warring gang bangers. Within one minute, they were all dead on the alley floor.

"Garbage," said the murderer, the white eyes on her red mask in a scowling position.

"...What happened to you?" asked Carly, opening her arms. "Let me help."

"You had your chance," replied the Red Hood, her voice showing signs of sadness. "It's too late now... too late for both of us." The woman then threw down a pellet, which exploded into a cloud of smoke. Once the smoke cleared, the Hood was gone.

"...Sam," said Carly, her heart sinking.

At ten o' clock that night, Carly asked Spencer to look up Horizon View Cemetery, where Sam was buried, in the phone book.

"I don' get this, Carly," said Spencer. "You know Sam is buried there."

"I know... it's just... that voice, what she said, the mere fact that she knows me," replied Carly. "I have to be sure."

Spencer looked at his sister for a second, his eyes reflecting the concern and sorrow he felt for her. Then, he nodded agreeingly, and dialed the cemetery's number on his cell phone.

"Hello," answered a somewhat deep-voiced woman on the other end of the line. "Horizon View Cemetery."

"Uh, hello. This is Spencer Shay," replied Spencer. "A... relative of mine, Samantha Shay was buried there, right?"

"Um, let me check the records," replied the woman. After a few minutes, the woman came back on the phone. "Yes. She is buried next to Walter and Jane Shay."

"Alright, thank you," said Spencer. The young man then hung up the cell phone. "She's there, Carls. Still at rest."

Carly began to walk away, but Spencer lightly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. "Carly, listen," he said, trying to comfort her. "It wasn't your fault. Sam loved you. She'd want you to forgive yourself."

"Just leave me alone," replied Carly, walking away again.

"Sam may have died, Carly," said Spencer. "But you died with her... and I had to watch you die. I love you... and I can't stand to see you like this."

Carly sighed a heavy sigh, and walked out the door.

Meanwhile, two married thirty-year-olds heard their doorbell ring. The woman of the house got up from the couch, and opened the door. "Hello," she said.

A black glove-covered hand grabbed her by her throat. "Where is your daughter?" demanded the red masked woman.


	5. Chapter 5

ICarly;

A Death in the Family

Chapter 5; The Truth

The sky was black and orange with the dust collected from a wind storm earlier that night. Carly dug her fingers into the ground and tore out the dirt. The teen dug and dug, her fingers bleeding. Finally, she hit something hard.

Lightning struck, illuminating a tombstone with "Samantha Shay: Forever a Friend" with the birth date covered in hardened mud, and the death date of 2005.

Carly rubbed a layer of dirt away, unveiling Sam's coffin. The teen pried open the top with the crowbar she brought, and gazed at the body inside: her eyes peacefully closed, her wounds cleaned and covered up with makeup, her hair curly but managed and down, and her hands crossed on her chest.

Carly's eyes tightened, observing the body fervently. Then, she lifted up the corpse. It's arms, legs, and head fell limp, and its hair fell off its head: it was a doll. Carly dropped the imitation of her friend's body on the ground, and walked away.

"Carly," said Spencer after his sister told him the details of her night once she got back at their apartment. "Remember how upset you were. **I** didn't even notice anything was wrong."

"I was stupid and careless. I should've noticed. I should have asked about the autopsy," replied Carly, angry at herself. The teen then entered her room and slammed the door.

"Carly, this isn't in any way your fault," Spencer called. "Neither of us could've..."

Carly opened the door. "Stupid and careless!" she snarled before slamming the door again.

The girl then dropped onto her bed, tears pouring out of her tired and swollen eyes. Her mind racked with regret and confusion.

Just then, her cell phone rang. Carly whiped her eyes, sniffled hard, and answered it. "Hello," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"I have the answers you're looking for." said a high-pitched male voice on the other end of the line.

In two hours, Carly was riding a personal jet over the mountains. Millions of snow flakes flew by the small round window next to her seat. After a few more minutes, the jet landed on a landing strip in the middle of a sea of snow. An attendant lead her to a house on a hill.

Inside, a fire was burning in the fireplace of a room with "Private study" on a plaque on its door. Carly stood in the center of the room, atop a highly decorated red rug. One of the tall-backed red chairs turned around, with Nevel sitting on it. "Hello Carly," he said, not using his usual smug tone.

"Nevel?" replied Carly, deeply confused.

"Yes. I called you as soon as I found out about the Red Hood," Nevel explained. "After all, this whole thing is my fault."

"What?" asked Carly, shocked at what she was hearing. "But Missy was the one who..."

"I hired Missy," interrupted Nevel. "I needed someone Sam despised, and I knew I was no match for her myself. So I payed Missy to get Sam to go after her, so she could capture her,... and you would come here to get her."

"I don't understand," said Carly.

"I still love you, Carly," replied Nevel. "And I was desperate to see you... But then... she killed Sam."

Nevel recalled the security camera image of Sam being beaten with the crowbar.

"That wasn't what I wanted...," said Nevel, his voice grave. "As punishment for my part in it, I exiled myself from you, and attempted to rectify the disservice."

"Rectify?" replied Carly.

"I tried to return to you what you had lost," explained Nevel. "I knew the rumors about this mountain range. It is said to house a fountain of youth. Surely enough, my assistants discovered such a place several miles under this house. I thought if it could rejuvenate the living, with help, it could raise the dead. So, I developed machinery for a shock treatment to jolt her heart, and several other machines for her various wounds.

"I then payed off the keepers of the morgue, and had her body brought here while a dummy took her place. Knowing you, I felt confident there wouldn't be a wake or any opportunity for the body to be examined. Even if there was, I still had enough time. So she submerged in the fountain.

"However, my plan had, well... unfortunate results."

Nevel's mind played back the memories: Sam's body was wrapped in gauze and lowered by chain ropes. Nevel and his assistants watched from the ground surrounding the fountain, the anticipation burning in their stomachs.

Bubbles rose to the surface of the water. Suddenly, Sam sprang out of the water, violently screaming in pain and fear.

Nevel dropped his jaw and shot his head back in shock.

Sam's fingers tore out of the gauze, then tore the gauze over her face off.

Nevel and two assistants ran towards the fountain.

Sam threw up the fountain's water, then shot her head towards Nevel, her eyes savage, and her breath heavy. Sam then jerked her head away, and ran desperately ran towards the rock wall, which lead up to a tunnel.

Two of Nevel's men ran in front of her. Sam threw her fist into the one on the left's cheek, knocking him onto the ground, then jumped onto the other man, and jabbed his eyes with her thumbs. Sam then jumped off him, and jumped onto the rock, and climbed up to the tunnel

Soon, the girl reached the house, and jumped out a window on the second floor, sending her plummeting to the snow-covered ground beneath the hill. The painful memories ended.

"She returned to this world," said Nevel. "But returned... damaged. ..." Nevel turned towards the window. "We searched for months, but never found her. Then I heard you were having problems back home.

"I'm sorry. I've returned your friend to you as a threat. She's shattering the bond you two have shared for..." Nevel turned around, and found Carly was gone. The boy lowered his head, turned back to the window, and closed his eyes in shame.

Within fifteen minutes, Carly was on her flight back home. Suddenly, her phone began to ring.

"Hello," she answered.

"Nevel explained to me what happened," replied Spencer. "And listen, whatever went wrong with Sam, it wasn't your fault. You loved her. She knows that. It should be enough."

"It's not enough, Spencer," Carly replied. "Do you remember what Sam was like when we took her in? She was homeless and a member of a street gang. She was violent, aggressive,... but there was something about her: she was different from the other members of her gang. She cared for others, she had compassion, but she always hated wrong being done. I knew if we left her, she'd grow up to be vicious.

"...Then I got her killed... my friend... my sister. I own that, Spencer. I'll carry that like everything else.

"... Now there's this. I have to stop her. If anyone else gets hurt, I'll never forgive myself."

Spencer's television show was then interrupted by a news broadcast. Live footage of the Red Hood appeared in a small box in the top left corner of the screen.

"Oh my gosh," exclaimed Spencer. "Carly, turn on the news."


	6. Chapter 6

ICarly;

A Death in the Family

Chapter 6; Hostage Situation

The sky was black, and the clouds were lined with blue light that night. Lightning struck as Red Hood looked down from atop the Space Needle at the city, where twenty police cars, ten ambulances, and fifty armed S.W.A.T. members were watching. Several news and police helicopters flew around the Needle.

Nevel's private jet landed on an abandoned street several blocks away from the scene. The door opened, and a metal ladder was let down. Carly ran down it, and charged towards the Needle, pushing through the police officers guarding the perimeter of the Needle.

The Red Hood noticed the jet, and tightened her eyes. "Right on time," she said.

"What are you planning on doing?" demanded the husband of the woman Red Hood interrogated several nights before, struggling to escape the ropes binding him to the needle.

"You're about to find out," replied Red Hood.

Carly rode the elevator up to the top floor of the Needle, tensely watching the numbers go by on the digital screen "Come on, come on, come on," she nervously repeated to herself.

From the ground, Freddie watched the hostage situation, wondering what was about to happen.

Finally, the elevator reached the top floor. Carly ran out and faced the Hood. "Let them go!" Carly screamed.

"Don't worry about them," replied Red Hood. "Worry about their daughter, Missy. If you want her to live, meet me at the abandoned apartment on 9th Street in one hour. If you don't show, she dies." The Red Hood jumped off the Needle, activated a small smoke bomb, and vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Carly gazed into space, trying desperately to take in what seemed to be a horrible nightmare.

Rain began to fall to the Earth.


	7. Chapter 7

ICarly;

A Death in the Family

Chapter 7; It Ends Tonight

Carly walked up to the apartment the Hood described. Lightning struck, lighting up the entire block. During this period of light, Carly noticed the shadow of someone standing behind her, but, knowing who it was, didn't turn around.

"Always punctual," said the Hood. "That was always one of your good qualities."

"That's enough," replied Carly, her anger flaring in her voice. "We end this now."

"Suits me," replied Red Hood, going into a fighting stance.

The two charged at each other. Carly thrust her fist into the Hood's face, causing her to jerk her head sideways and grunt in pain. Red Hood quickly sprang back, and kneed Carly full-force in the stomach.

Carly shut her eyes tightly, gritted her teeth, and grunted in pain.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" snarled Red Hood, her voice drowned with anger. "Just like that crowbar hurt me that night!" The Hood then drove her elbow down into Carly's back, causing the teen to give another pain-filled grunt, and collapse on the ground.

Carly tried to lift herself up, but coughed up blood, and lost the strength in her arms, forcing her to drop again. Before she lost consciousness, the Hood reached for her.

Carly woke up to find herself atop the filth-covered roof of the apartment she met the Hood at. Her body weak, Carly struggled to roll onto her stomach, and managed to sit up.

"You know, from this place you can see the warehouse Missy killed me in... or what's left of it," said Red Hood.

"Sam, I know what happened to you," said Carly, the anger from before gone. "I can help you."

"You talked to Nevel, huh?" replied the Hood. "Does it make it easier to believe my dip in his little fountain turned me rabid? Or is this just the real me?"

"Take the mask off, Sam," said Carly, her voice stern.

The Red Hood paused a second, then looked down, pulled off her mask off, and faced Carly. Lightning flashed, and in that flash, Carly saw a younger Sam, then the one who currently faced her.

Sam looked almost the same, but had aged several years, and wore her hair longer. "Five years since we saw each other face to face," she said.

"I know," replied Carly. "Let's finish this." Carly charged at Sam, who charged back at her. The two collided fists, and held them together, their bodies shaking with tension.

Suddenly, the roof caved in beneath them. The two teens crashed into the fourth floor, which in turn gave out, sending the girls into the third floor bathroom, a dark blue tiled, and very generic room with only a toilet and two sinks to it.

Sam stumbled to her feet, only to be knocked down again by a right hook from Carly.

"Enough!" Carly declared, angrily. "It's over."

Sam scowled viciously, and lunged at Carly, who moved out of the way, sending Sam's face hard into the wall, shattering several tiles. The teen then noticed a jagged shard still stuck to the wall, tore it off, and stabbed it at Carly. Carly jerked to one side, avoiding Sam's assault. The blond teen desperately tried several times to strike Carly, only to have each strike dodged.

Carly let out a cry of rage, and delivered a sharp jab with her right hand to Sam's cheek, smashing her into the wall.

"I loved you Sam. You were my sister," angrily cried Carly. "But if you wanna throw all that away, then fine!" Carly punched Sam full-force in her stomach, smashing her into the next room, an abandoned living room.

Sam laid on the floor, her eyes tightly closed in pain. Carly walked in front of her. "I know I failed you, Sam...," she said, gravely. "But I tried to save you."

Sam pulled out a handgun, and aimed it at Carly. The teenage girl stepped back, shocked.

"Is that what you think this is about?" replied Sam, her voice uneasy with anger and sadness. "That you let me die? I don't know what clouds your judgment worse, your guilt or your endless tendency to carry the world's weight on her shoulders."

Carly tightened her eyes.

"Carly, I forgive you... for not saving me," continued Sam. "But why... why **on Earth**..." Sam kicked in the wooden closet door next to her, revealing Missy, who was tied to a wooden chair, her outfit dirt-stained and torn up, her face scratched and bruised, her eyes closed, and her head down.

"Is **she **still alive?" Sam dragged the chair into the living room.

Carly stared at Missy, her emotions raging within her. "...Why, Missy?" she finally screamed, tears welling up in her eyes, and a lump forming in her throat. "Why did you kill her? How could you do this to her? To me?"

"Because Sam took my place in your life," Missy replied, her voice angry. "I was your friend first. **We** were sisters... then I moved away, and you threw me out like yesterday's trash.

"And when I was trapped on that miserable sea school, I was completely isolated. No friends, no family, no connections to the world. But I did have time to think... time to plan my revenge. Then Nevel called me, and I knew I'd have get my payback."

Sam glared at Missy, then screamed in anger, and knocked her chair down on the hard, wooden floor. The blond teen stared at her hostage for a minute, then turned to Carly. "Ignoring what she did to us," she started. "Blindly, stupidly disregarding how she took my life, and how she tore us apart...

"You know I though... I thought I'd be the last one you'd ever be willing to lose. ... If she had beaten you to a bloody pulp... if she had taken you from this world, I would have done **nothing** but search the planet for this pile of evil, self-righteous garbage... then send her off to oblivion!"

"You don't understand," replied Carly, her voice grave, but comforting. "I don't think you've ever understood."

"What?" replied Sam. "What, your moral code just won't allow for that? It's too hard for you to cross that line?

"No!" screamed Carly. "It'd be too freakin' easy... All I've ever wanted to do after she killed you is get even... A day doesn't go by when I don't think about about putting her through everything she put her through, and then... end her."

Missy watched Carly in shock over what she was hearing.

"...But if I do that...," continued Carly. "If I allow myself to go down that road,... I'll never come back."

"Why?" replied Sam, confused and inwardly angered. "I'm not talking about killing Jocelyn, or Nora, or Chuck... I'm talking about her." Sam pointed her gun at Missy. "Just her...

"I'm doing this because... because she took me away from you," Sam's voice now showed her deep sorrow.

"...I can't," replied Carly, gravely. "I'm sorry."

Sam clenched her teeth, and scowled furiously.

"I knew I still meant something to you," said Missy, almost seeming to mock Sam.

"...Well you're not gonna have a choice," replied Sam, gravely. The teen then pulled a silver handgun, and threw it to Carly.

Carly sloppily caught the gun, and looked down at it. "I won't...," she began to say.

"This is what it's all been about," Sam interrupted. "The murders, the hostages. After Missy killed me, her family went underground to protect her from the law. I found out, and questioned every criminal in the state to learn where she was. I got nothing, and since I knew they'd let the word out I was after someone, I killed them all.

"But now... you, me, and her... Now is the time you decide." Sam tore Missy out of her ropes, put her in a headlock, and put the gun up to her head.

"You know I won't...," Carly began to say.

"I'm gonna blow her deranged brains out," Sam angrily interrupted, her voice beginning to quiver with sadness and emotional pain. "And if you wanna stop me, you're gonna have tuh shoot me... right in my face!"

Missy uselessly struggled to escape Sam's grip, the fear showing in her eyes.

Carly looked at Sam, remained still for a minute, then dropped the gun on the floor.

Sam's jaw dropped in shock for a moment, but she quickly closed it, and scowled and gritted her teeth, the anger burning in her body. "You need to decide!" she screamed. "Her or me! **Decide!**"

Carly turned away from Sam, and began to walk away.

Sam's scowl grew tighter. Then, she threw down the gun, tossed Missy aside, and screamed in rage as she charged at Carly.

Carly turned around, and thrust her fist into Sam's stomach in an upper cut. Sam tightly closed her eyes, and released a splatter of saliva. The blond teen then fell to the ground, clenching her throbbing stomach.

"Sam, it's over," Carly cried, tears starting to roll out of her eyes. "We can start over... start all over again."

Sam lifted her head up, weakly, "I'm sorry," she said. Sam then pulled out a small, oval detonator, and pressed a red button on its side.

An electric clock attached to several large explosives lit up, and began counting down from ten.

10... Carly's jaw dropped. The teen then shook the shock out of her head, ran over to Sam and grabbed her, then ran over to Missy and grabbed her.

5...4... Carly dragged the two towards the fire escape.

3...2...

The upper half of the apartment exploded in an ocean of red and yellow fire. Smoke poured out of the burning building.

After the explosion ceased, Carly found herself under a large block of debris, wearing Red Hood's jacket over her head and shoulders.

Carly threw off the debris and the jacket, and grabbed her throbbing head, then looked around the ashes and ruins of the apartment, and found Missy laying under a large block of wood, her head turned to her left side, and groaning in pain.

Sirens began to sound from nearby.


	8. Chapter 8

ICarly;

A Death in the Family

Chapter 8; This Doesn't Change Anything

Carly looked at the pictures taped to the living room wall. The sky outside was black, and rain was pouring down; it was just as well.

The pictures showed frozen moments of Sam smiling; so innocent, so happy. Others showed Carly and Sam, their arms on eachother's shoulders, smiling giant smiles at the camera. Above the pictures was a long piece of white paper with pink hearts on each side of the sentence "Carly & Sam Friends and Sisters Forever"

Spencer walked up to Carly slowly. "Carly," he said, his voice sympathetic. "After what's happened, do you wanna take those down?"

"...No," replied Carly, gravely. "This doesn't change anything... It doesn't change anything at all." Carly then walked out of the room.

Spencer waited a minute, then walked away, saddened.

Images played out in Carly's mind: "Come on, Sam, where are you?" called a young Carly.

"Right here!" yelled Sam, happily as she sprang out from behind a tree and onto Carly's back. The two fell to the ground.

The two laughed at themselves, their eyes closed.

"I love you, sis," said Carly.

"I love you too, sis," replied Sam. The two hugged, closed their eyes, and smiled peacefully. The images then ended. The rain continued to fall to the ground.


End file.
